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Posts tagged Apple
Technology I Am Looking Forward to in 2011
01 year ago
Which gadgets, software and stuff can us geeks look forward to in 2011? I’ve made list of 4 things I am excited about:
Nintendo 3DS (e3.nintendo.com/3ds)
You’ve probably already heard about it, Nintendo 3DS is the next portable console from Nintendo. It has two screens just like the previous DSi but this time one of them can show 3D without the user needs to wear special glasses or anything.
There are lots of upcoming games for this console too, including Mario Kart and Animal Crossing.
New iPhone, iPods, iPad and Macs (apple.com)
Like every year there’ll of course be new Apple products too. A new iPad, new iPods, new MacBooks and so on. The next iPad will probably be the first product to be introduced in just a few weeks.
They’ll also release their new OS X Lion operating system next year.
Mac App Store (apple.com/mac/app-store)
Also something from Apple. The online store for applications, we know from the iPhone, is coming to the Mac.
This is something I am very excited about! It’s going to be released for everyone with the newest OS X Snow Leopard operating system. It’s coming Janary 6th.
Chrome OS notebooks (google.com/chromeos)
Last year Google announced their new operating system based on their Chrome-browser. It’s mostly for people using the surfing the web since it’s bascially… a web browser.
2011 will be the year when we’ll get to see lots of new shiny notebooks running this operating system.
There is probably more cool stuff to be relased next year. What are YOU excited about?
Magic Mouse Review – Does It Live Up To Its Name?
21 year ago
I got the Magic Mouse as a Christmas present for my MacBook Pro. It’s the newest mouse from Apple, which is currently shipping with the iMac and can be bought for 69$ (US price).
After using it as my primary mouse for some days, here’s my review.
Design
There’s not much to say about the design of this mouse – it’s gorgeous! Definitely the most beautiful mouse I have ever seen. As simple as a mouse could possible be.
And because this mouse only works on Macs, you won’t need a stupid USB receiver, it just connects using Bluetooth.
So what’s special about this thing? It’s a multi-touch mouse! The whole top surface, except for the part under the Apple logo, is like a touch screen. The top surface also works as one giant button to click, just like on the MacBook trackpads.
The mouse itself is a little heavy but it makes it feel more solid, which I like.
As you can see, the bottom of the mouse is made aluminum. It looks very nice as well.
Touch gestures
The mouse has several touch gestures, including scrolling with one finger and going forward and back with two fingers. This video shows the basics.
Use
The most important thing is of course how it is to use. Personally I think it’s really good! All of the touch gestures works very well without problems. It also works decent on all kinds of surfaces, but the rubber feet can be a bit noisy sometimes, for example when using it on a wooden surface. I’ve been using on a mouse mat myself.
The mouse is very slick and low-profile and you can’t just lay your hand on it like other mice. Instead you should try to grip it at the sides with your pinky and thumb. Like my hand on this picture.
Because of that it takes quite some time to get used to, and is not as comfortable as other mice where you can just rest your hand.
I can imagine this is especially a problem for people with big hands, but I think it’s fine myself.
The only problem I’ve had, is the tracking in Mac OS X. The cursor moves pretty slowly in the highest tracking speed compared to Windows and the mouse acceleration can be a bit annoying. However, after some days of use, I’ve gotten used to it.
Batteries
As many other mice out there, the Magic Mouse uses batteries. Two AA batteries were already included when I got it!
I haven’t been testing this mouse long enough to change them, but after 3 days of heavy use there still 93% of power left. I think that’s pretty decent and definitely better than other wireless mice I’ve used.
Changing the batteries is very easy. The only thing to do is to remove the little piece of aluminum as shown on the picture.
Verdict
So overall, the mouse does live up to its name for the most part. I think, after getting used to it, it’s a great mouse for everyday use. The touch gestures works flawlessly and the mouse is really beautiful.
At a price of 69$ it is pretty expensive, but I think it’s worth it. However, if you’re a hardcore gamer or something else, then this mouse it not for you.
Tip
If you want more functionality instead of the standard gestures and fix the slow tracking speed, you can download a little application called MagicPrefs.
Steve Jobs Talks Competition and Open VS Closed
01 year ago
Apple has just held a conference call to talk about financial results. This time Steve Jobs decided to talk a bit about Apple’s competition and ‘open’ vs ‘closed’.
RIM
First of all, he mentions RIM, and that Apple has known passed them. Steve doesn’t see RIM catching up with Apple in the future, mainly because of the App Store.
Android
Then he mentions Android. Steve thinks it’s fragmented because of all the different phones, compared to the iPhone where all phones are the same.
“Google love to characterize Android as open, and iOS and iPhone as closed. We find this a bit disingenous and clouding the real difference between are two approaches. The first thing most of us think about, when we hear the word “open”, is Windows, which is available on a variety of devices. Unlike Windows, hovever, where most PCs have the same interfaces and run the same apps, Android is very fragmented.
Many Android OEMs, including the two largest HTC and Motorola, install proprietary user interfaces to differentiate themselves from the commodity Android experience. The users are left to figure it all out. Compare this with iPhone where all handsets work the same.
I think he’s totally right. The reason I think the iPhone is the best phone right now, is because there’s only one. I don’t like the fact, that I’ll have to choose between hundreds of Androids phones, just to get one that’s already old tommorrow. I wrote a post about this half a year ago. You can find it here.
Open vs closed
After some more iPhone vs Android talk, he goes into a open vs closed talk:
“You know, even if Google were right, and the real issue is closed versus open, it is worthwhile to remember that open systems don’t always win. … (Some Microsoft and Google talk) … In reality, we think the open vs closed argument is just a smoke screen trying to hide the real issue, which is what’s best for the customer – fragmented vs integrated. We think Android is very, very fragmented, and becoming more fragmented by the day. And as you know, Apple strives for the integrated model, so that the user isn’t forced to be the systems integrator. We see tremendous value at having Apple, rather than our users, be the systems integrator. We think this is a huge strength of our approach compared to Google’s, when selling the users, who want their devices to just work, we believe integrated will trump fragmented every time.
And we also think our developers can be more innovative if they can target a singular platform, rather than a hundred variants. They can put their time into innovative new features, rather than testing on hundreds of handsets. So we are very committed to the integrated approach, no matter how many times Google tries to characterize it as ‘closed’. And we are confident that it will trump over Google’s fragmented approach, no matter how many times Google tries to characterize it as ‘open’”.
It’s hard for me to comment on that, I think. I don’t like when something is too closed, but I don’t like something either that just doesn’t work, so both ‘open’ and ‘closed’ has their own advantages. And I think the same thing about ‘fragmented’ vs ‘integrated’.
7-inch tablets
He also talks about why the iPad is better than 7-inch tablets because, according to him, a 7-inch screen just isn’t big enough. He says:
“It’s meaningless unless your tablet also include sand paper, so that your user can sand down their fingers to around one quarter of their present size.”
I think he might be right about that. I don’t like all the new huge phones myself, because they’re just to big to carry around. I remember people thought the iPhone was big, when it came out, but now phones are getting way bigger.
You can find the conference call on Apple’s website. Engadget has also been kind enough to put the part with Steve Jobs up here. They also have a post of their own here about this subject.
Review: MacBook Pro Mid-2010
21 year ago
What happens when hardware and software works together perfectly? A great computer experience and that’s pretty much what the MacBook Pro delivers. Here’s my review after a few weeks of use.
Design
Who makes the most beautiful computers? Apple. Not much to say here, because the MacBook Pro is no exception.
The whole case of the computer is made out of only a few parts. One for the lit, one for the bottom, and the rest is just the “Unibody”. That’s what Apple calls it. It’s made of out a single piece of aluminum, which makes it feel very strong and sturdy.
The machine doesn’t have many ports. On the left side there is the MagSafe for power, Ethernet, FireWire, Mini Display Port, two USBs, SD slot, audio, and a battery indicator. On the right side we have the DVD-drive and a Kensington lock slot.
Some people might need more ports, but it hasn’t been a problem for me yet.
Trackpad, screen and keyboard
Trackpads, or touchpads, are terrible on most computers, They’re too small, too ugly and overall… just bad. Since the day I turned this MacBook Pro on for the first time, I’ve been addicted to Apple’s trackpad. It’s far, far superior to other touchpads.
It’s one big piece of glass, just like the touchscreen of the iPhone. You can use fingers for all types of gestures, including scrolling with two fingers and pushing all open windows away with five fingers.
I found out that a mouse was still needed for certains tasks, like working with OpenOffice Calc.
The keyboard is also great! The keys are soft and very nice to use. And, it’s even backlit! It looks very nice, but not something I would consider as necessary. It’s nice when it’s dark, otherwise it’s just a fancy feature, I think.
When it comes to the screen it’s pretty good. The colors look nice, even from the side and it lights up very fast.
One thing you should notice, which the white MacBook doesn’t have, is that the screen has a glass surface. Something that is very nice, because the screen won’t get scratched or anything like that.
Also, it is very glossy, almost like a mirror in sunlight, but that also makes it better looking, so that’s fine with me.
Mac OS X
I’ve used Windows for my whole life, so Mac OS X was quite new for me, and still is, actually. I can’t really say much, you’ll need to see for yourself, but it’s just… a dream. It’s fast, it’s beautiful and it works awesome with the hardware Apple makes. It took about a week to get used to.
One thing everyone considering to buy a Mac should remember, is not everything work on OS X. It’s possible to install Windows, but that kind of… ruins the whole experience. I might do it in the future because of school, but I wanted a Mac so much I was willing to risk that. And I’m glad I did.
Performance
So is this product fast? The base model, which I have, features an 2.4 Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4 gigabytes of RAM and NVDIA 320M graphics, which is pretty neat. You can also buy a 2.66 model, and it can have up to 8 gigabytes of RAM.
It feels fast. I can have lots of applications open and it doesn’t slow anything down at all. It’s also turns on very fast, takes about 15 seconds, I think.
What about games? Unfortunately I haven’t really tried any games on this machine yet. If you’re very interested in more information about this, I’m sure you can just do a quick search on Google.
Battery life
Awesome. That’s what I can say about the battery life. I take it with me to school every single day, and I haven’t used the charger yet, only at home. When you’re just writing documents or surfing the web, the battery can easily last many hours. I’m not sure about how many exactly, but I’ve seen other reviews saying that 8 hours is normal. And this isn’t a netbook!
As mentioned earlier, it has this awesome battery indicator on the left side. Very useful, it’s stupid to turn on a notebook just to see if has been charged, right?
Wrap-up
It’s very hard not to recommend this computer. It just works. The hardware together with the operating system makes it a dream to use, waaaay better than anything I’ve ever tried. Not the hardware itself, not OS X itself, but together.
When people criticize Apple it’s often because of the price, and it’s true. It’s very expensive but you do get what you’re paying for. A computer that does everything in the best possible way. The normal MacBook is almost like the Pro-model but made of plastic instead. If you want to save a few hundred dollars, I’m sure it is still a great computer. Many of the specs are the same.
Others think Apple is only about “the design”. That is not true! It’s about so much more, I hope you understand that.
I know I haven’t metioned everything in here, but I didn’t want the review to be too long. Thanks!
Paint for Mac?
11 year ago
As you know I recently got a Mac. The other day when taking notes in a class, I was wondering why I couldn’t find a simple drawing/paint program in OS X… Apparently Macs just do have that included out of the box, so I decided to find one.
A quick search let me to Paintbrush. It works pretty much like MS Paint and it’s even open-source, so what more can I ask for? You can download it here.
Just a quick tip to all the other Mac-noobs out there just like me. 
My New MacBook Pro
41 year ago
For the last few years, I’ve been a big fan of Apple. Especially since I bought my old iPhone 3G in 2008. One of the things I like about them, is that they really bring a lot of innovation to much of the technology many of us use every single day.
Now, I finally got my first Mac, the current MacBook Pro with a 2.4 Intel Core 2 Duo processor and NVIDIA 320M graphics.
Until now, it’s been very nice! I might do a review in a couple of months, but for now, here are some pictures of my new lovely computer.
Microsoft Wants Us to Stay with Windows
21 year ago
Microsoft has recently launched a new Mac vs PC website. It basically tells everyone to stick with Windows because it’s what almost everyone is used to.
One of the things Microsoft states is this:
The computer that’s easiest to use is typically the one you already know how to use. While some may say Macs are easy, the reality is that they can come with a learning curve. PCs running Windows 7 look and work more like the computers you’re familiar with, so you can get up and running quickly.
Maybe, but is that really a good reason? If you’ve used Windows for years and want to try something new, why not do it? I’m not saying that Macs are better, I’m just saying that I think it’s a stupid reason to stick with Windows forever just because it might be the only thing people are used to. If people are happy with what they’re using, they should keep using it. If people want to try something new, they should do it.
One thing everyone should consider, and what Microsoft pretty much ignores, is that every Mac is a PC. You can easily install Windows 7 on a Mac.
I should be getting my first Mac tomorrow, a MacBook Pro, and I don’t only buy it because of Mac OS X. I think Windows is fine, but the built quality of Macs are far beyond almost every PC I’ve seen. Macs are just beautiful without all sorts of stupid stickers. But I do like both Windows and Mac.
What do you use, and why?
Why Do Companies Sell So Many Phones?
11 year ago
I’ve been wondering about something for some time now… Why do companies sell so many phones?
You know, HTC, Nokia, Sony Ericsson. They have SO many phones, it’s actually pretty hard to find the right one, sometimes.
- HTC Legend
- HTC Desire
- HTC Tattoo
- HTC Hero
- HTC Smart
- HTC Magic
- and more…
Pretty many, huh? Why don’t they, or maybe a new company, create just one ultimate phone? Just like Apple. They keep updating the same phone for a year, before selling a new. I think other companies should try to do the same thing with one of the other mobile systems like Android or Windows Phone 7.
Is it just me, or do you think it would be nice too? Of course it’s also good to sell many phones, it gives the users more choices. But one awesome phone that doesn’t get old the day after the purchase, that’s nice! Again, I was just wondering about this…
Apple’s Way to Solve iPhone 4 Problems
21 year ago
For just 2 days ago, Apple held their iPhone 4 Press Conference to talk about their new mobile phone. They mainly talked about the antenna problem, which everyone has been talking about, including me.
Apple decided to offer free cases to all customers, and if they still don’t like the phone, they can get their money back. People with bumpers already can get a refund.
Steve also mentioned that only 0.55% of iPhone 4 customers have called AppleCare about the issue, and that the phone only has a 1.7% return rate. Apple also showed other phones with the same problem.
They played this song at the start of the conference. Pretty catchy, huh?
You can watch the full conference video here, or check Apple’s antenna website.